Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever fashion show featuring swimsuit models on Friday, marking a notable transformation in a country where, less than a decade ago, women were required to wear body-covering abaya robes.
The poolside event showcased a collection by Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal, featuring predominantly one-piece swimsuits in hues of red, beige, and blue. Many models had exposed shoulders, and some displayed partially visible midriffs.
“It’s true that this country is very conservative, but we tried to show elegant swimsuits that represent the Arab world,” Qanzal told the media. “When we came here, we understood that a swimsuit fashion show in Saudi Arabia is a historic moment because it is the first time such an event has happened. It was an honor to be involved.”
The show took place on the second day of the inaugural Red Sea Fashion Week at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort, situated off Saudi Arabia’s western coast. This resort is part of Red Sea Global, one of the mega-projects central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 social and economic reform program, overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Since becoming the crown prince in 2017, Mohammed bin Salman has implemented a series of social reforms aimed at softening Saudi Arabia’s austere image, historically shaped by a strict form of Islam known as Wahhabism. These reforms have included sidelining the religious police who once enforced prayer times in malls, reintroducing cinemas, and organizing mixed-gender music festivals.
However, these changes have been accompanied by increased repression of dissent, including crackdowns on conservative clerics who might oppose such moves.
Shouq Mohammed, a Syrian fashion influencer who attended Friday’s show, remarked that the event was unsurprising given Saudi Arabia’s efforts to open up to the world and expand its fashion and tourism sectors.
In 2022, the fashion industry contributed $12.5 billion, or 1.4 percent of the national GDP, and employed 230,000 people, according to a report published by the official Saudi Fashion Commission last year.
